B4 Ch53: Core Challenge (Patreon)

Arthur found himself in a cozy living space, complete with a fireplace, cushioned seating, and even a writing desk in the corner. There were no windows, but a single oak door stood dominating the room with large writing over the top that read:

One challenger may enter.

There were several lines of smaller writing underneath that he couldn't quite read from a distance.

Marion, Cressida, Horatio, and the little Silver dragon, who'd had the pressure worse than Arthur and Brixaby, all gasped for free breath.

"What... was that?" Horatio said.

"That dragon with the long body is the Mythic bonded to our king," Arthur said, "and the rest... I don't know. Rulers of other kingdoms, I think."

"Mythics," Cressida said weakly. She seemed overwhelmed.

Arthur turned to Marion. "I'm sorry, but I had to agree to send you back to your father—”

Marion cut him off. "It's fine. I understand, and the important thing is we need to move on and finish this next challenge. I'm more worried about her." He looked down to the little Silver in his arms. She was all but flopped over his forearm and looked quite out of energy.

It was no wonder: She had faced the might of Scourge-Gods and Mythics on her first day of hatching. And, without the strength and comfort of a linked rider.

Arthur nodded. While this place seemed to be a place of rest, he didn’t think they would have the time.

He stepped closer to the door and read the smaller lines under the ‘One challenger may enter’ statement.

Wonder upon wonders, it seemed to be a description of what they would face next.

Your team may send one champion. If they are successful, all will be rewarded. If not, all will be ejected down to the previous challenge, and, if successful, may try again.

That was both more explanatory and fairer than what they had experienced before.

"I like the extra instructions," Cressida said, "but I don't think that we'll want to see what happens on the next hardest level from here without the Mythic's help. We'll only get one try at this."

"That's why I'm going in," Arthur said.

"Not without me," Brixaby growled.

"Only one challenger, Brixaby," Arthur said, "You know it has to be me."

The dragon made a spitting sound that was not too far off from the disgusted noise Lung Bei had made. "You and I are a pair. It should treat us as one.”

“If it doesn't," Arthur said, walking to the door, "Then wish me luck."

He didn't let himself think about all he had learned from the Mythics. The fact that the challenge in the bunker had likely been real with people who had lived all that time ago. The hope, expectation, and pressure that he and Brixaby would be the next Mythic pair. And his pending return to Wolf Moon Hive. Not to mention Lung Bei’s unrevealed anxiety. He must get this card. He put that all to the side and turned the doorknob. 

Abruptly, he stood in a place that was familiar—back in that room that he had experienced under Ravi's guided meditation.

Five card slots stood blazing before him. Two were filled with Master of Skills and Master of Body Enhancement. On the other side stood two empty slots. And in the middle, was the ghostly visage of Master of Cards. 

And right in front, blocking his way, stood his cousin, Penn. 

If I want that card, I'm going to have to fight him to the death, Arthur thought. 

Sure enough, his cousin's face twisted in hate and a dagger appeared in his hand. 

"Betrayer," Penn sneered and advanced on Arthur. 

No, Arthur thought. 

Penn rushed forward.

Do something, Arthur’s instinct screamed. 

"Fight me, you coward," Penn said. "Fight me like a true man."

Fear and adrenaline coursed through him. In the back of his mind Arthur suspected this was a face your fear challenge. Penn's weapon even caught the light as he came close. 

He didn't close his eyes, he didn't lift his arms to defend himself, and Penn... didn't slash down.

Arthur had been through this song and dance before. They had fought each other to a stalemate. Maybe it would be so in real life, too.

“We’re family, Penn.”

Though Penn did not slash the fatal strike he did press the edge of his dagger to Arthur's neck. He practically spat in his face. "Family? You've all but destroyed us."

"I can all but fix you," Arthur said. 

"Liar!"

"Penn, if I was lying, I'd rip the card out of your heart right now."

Penn glanced down and paled when he saw Arthur's hand hovering a spare inch over his heart. He backed away. 

"You can't fight me and win. All you have is tricks!"

It felt like something snapped in Arthur. "Yes I can," he said, frustrated. "You have a Master of Combat. So what? I have a whole retinue of powerful dragons and their riders behind me. Through them, I have access to lava power, an assassin pair that can kill you with a scratch and teleport anywhere you have a shadow. I have a pair that can call down the heat of the sun on you, and now if you can get a lucky shot in, I have a healer who will fix it. That’s not even getting into my own Legendary dragon. You’re nothing, Penn. I have all that, and I am still afraid of you," he roared. 

Penn sneered. "As you should be. You're not going to take my card."

"Yes, I am," Arthur said, "and I'm going to be a Mythic.”

“Mythic?” Penn barked out a scornful laugh. “You? How? By cheating?”

“Of course by cheating!” Arthur roared back. “I never take the direct route. I’ve already accepted I have to face you, and don’t know how I’m going to take that card from you… but I promise, I swear Penn that somehow I’m going to make it right between us. One way or another.”

And with that, some lingering burden that he had not been aware of fell away. None of it erased what he had done to Penn. He had stolen his Master of Body enhancement that had been meant to save Penn’s family from debt. Arthur had tricked and wronged Penn in several ways leading up to Brixaby’s hatching.

And he, if he had to do it all over again, he would. But it didn't mean that he had to be the same man going forward.

Arthur stared at his cousin. "Penn – facing you means facing what I’ve done and then doing worse. It scares me even more than facing down those Scourge-Gods... or... even more than losing Brixaby. I don't know why, or how it wormed so deep in my heart. But I'm not refusing to fight you because I'm scared. I'm refusing to fight you because when it really happens, I'm certain that we won’t need to."

Skill Level Gained: Self Insight

(Level 20)

He had jumped up ten levels.

And of course, those levels were only a representation of his progress because along with that self realization and acknowledgment of his deepest, most shameful fear came acceptance.

With a feeling of loosening bands, Arthur’s heart deck expanded. He felt he could easily fit five more cards in there. For a moment he reveled in it – this feeling like all boundaries could be erased, if only he learned to get out of his own way.

His emotions came crashing down a moment later. After all, he was still facing a murderous cousin.

"You're wrong," Penn said, lifting his dagger again.

Arthur sighed. He needed to look past his own fear and self-doubt to see the reality: This wasn’t his cousin. This was a challenge he needed to beat.

"I guess we'll find out," Arthur said. 

Penn's face twisted, and came at him again. Arthur didn’t doubt he meant business this time.

Still, Arthur did nothing to protect himself. He stood there while Penn closed in and slashed for his throat.

Arthur activated his Phase In, Phase Out. An card neither he or Brixaby had been careful not to show the Dark Heart yet, and one he bet it would not guess he had.

One that Penn knew to watch out for. If he were real.

Penn stumbled through him, and Arthur phased back in, reached out, and ripped the card out of his back.

The fake Penn exploded into a million points of light, and the card dissolved in his hand as well. 

****

Then, abruptly, he was standing in the cozy waiting room again. He backed away hurriedly. 

"What's wrong?" Brixaby asked. "Are we going in?"

"I was just... I did it," Arthur said, in surprise. "I did it."

“What, in a second?” 

"It wasn't a second to me," Arthur said, "but, yeah, I won the fight."

Cressida clapped her hand over her mouth and pointed. "He did, look!"

Where one door had been, now two stood. And above them was written: Fear conquered! Congratulations! You and your team may step forward to claim a reward.

The door on the right said:

One granted wish.

The door on the left said:

One card from the heart library.

The room shuddered around them, suddenly, as if something large had bashed up against the wall.

A distant voice in Lung Bei’s breathy whisper said, "Hurry."

"Okay," Cressida said, "you're going to have to tell us the whole story later, but for now, let's get this done."

Marion said, "I'm going for the wish." He started for the right-hand door, then paused and transferred the Silver dragon back to Cressida. The Silver started to complain, but Marion touched under her chin and said, "I'm going to get my heart fixed. Pick a good card for the both of us, okay?"

The little dragon perked up a little. "Okay, be careful."

“I will.” Marion smiled and turned to walk through the wish door.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Horatio said and headed straight for the card door.

Everybody else followed.

Around them, the room continued to shake.

****

Marion stepped through the wish door and felt the question more than heard it.

 Lay your petition in front of the dark heart. What is your wish?

"I wish for my heart deck to be repaired," he said clearly, focusing hard on the words to prevent an intrusive thought from popping in like, ‘I want a million gold coins’.

There was a pause. Then, suddenly, a plinth appeared in front of him, and on it sat propped a single card.

"I thought the other guys were getting cards," Marion muttered, but went over to it.

 

Wish to Repair a Heart Deck

One Time Use

Rare

Upon placing this card in a heart deck, all physical, mental, spiritual, and magical damage will be healed and the heart deck will be restored to pristine condition. Warning: As this is a Rare card, the wielder’s heart deck will be restored to Rare rank and will no longer carry any lingering benefits of a once-Legendary wielder.

Marion snorted. After giving up his Legendary card and the rest of his royal inheritance, he had stubbornly resisted adding cards to his deck. Now, this would be the sixth one this week.

"Well, here it goes," he said, and added it to his heart.

He disappeared in a flash of light, returned to the cozy waiting room.

****

Arthur, Brixaby, and Cressida stepped into a library. Instead of books or scrolls, it was filled with cards. Endless cards, stacked end to end, each in their own jeweled cases. The rows of shelves seemed to go on and on.

However, the outer walls shook as if caught in a permanent small earthquake. The jeweled cards rattled on their shelves, and Arthur got the unsettling impression that the whole place was trying to fly apart in a moment.

"Hurry," the ghostly voice said again. The Mythics who were keeping back the influence of the Scourge-Gods were running out of time.

"You heard her," Arthur said, "Brixaby, get us a portal card."

Brixaby grinned evilly back at him. “I will get the best of the best.”

Everyone split up, though Arthur ran straight down front row of shelving.

Arthur ran up the shelving. Each section was labeled: Combat, Utility, Nature, Elemental, Healing, and so on with different sub-sections of them all.

Arthur kept running. All of these cards, he felt were Common, Uncommon, and Rare. He was searching for a greater prize.

He poured all the experience of his Running and Sprint skills into his speed

There, at the end of the shelving, was a short set of steps to a more elaborate second level. These, of course, were where the Legendary cards were. And past that, he sensed something even more powerful, something that he could only glance at, like the way he could only glance at the sun. There was a Mythic—maybe even several Mythic cards—in this library.

For the space of a thought, he wondered how he could possibly take one of those out of here... But even if he could, he would never use it. To do so would mean that he would have to unlink from Brixaby. That was not an option. 

Arthur kept his gaze firmly on the Legendary cards. The section was obviously smaller, but there still had to be hundreds of Legendries here. So much power, so much potential for good and evil.

And outside, distantly, he heard a whistle of a Scourge-God that cut to the core.

He refocused and searched the sections: Combat, Spells, Nature, Mind, Elemental, Healing, Utility.

There.

Arthur ran down the row and concentrated on Brixaby’s Call of the Heart to guide him.

Then he saw it. The card that had once lived in the heart of a general who had fallen to scourgelings, been picked up, recycled through countless lives, and eventually, found its way to the Dark Heart. 

It sat in a jeweled case. Arthur picked it up with reverence. It opened as if waiting for him.

Master of Cards

Meta (Card)

Legendary

This card grants the wielder an extreme affinity with cards within their own heart deck and in others. The wielder will have an unusual level of control of their own heart deck and will be able to change parameters.   In addition, there is an extra-sensory perception of other’s cards. With practice, an advanced wielder may be able to interact with cards within another’s heart deck without permission.

The wielder will be able to direct the formation of new cards using card shards toward a desired outcome.

Using an extreme amount of mana, the wielder will be able to make small, permanent changes the properties and rules of cards, including linking cards within a different deck.

This is a meta only card. Seek additional cards in this set to include combative, magical, body, and utilitarian abilities.

The general had been right. This card had quite a kick to it.

Arthur slid it into his heart deck.

The moment he did, he disappeared as he was transported in a burst of light. But not before receiving a message.

Card synergy found. You have added a third card from the same set (Master of Skills + Master of Body Enhancement + Master of Cards) to create a three-of-a-kind. Due to this pairing, you are able to create new classes which include utility, body-based, and card-based skills. These new classes may add to your attributes.

You have unlocked advanced controls within your Heart Deck.

****

Brixaby had become accurately, uncomfortably aware of his failings recently. He could act brashly and some might even say just with a tiny, itty bitty bit of callousness. Which was fine. He was a Legendary dragon. Arrogance was expected.

But over the last several days through the Dark Heart challenge, he had been faced with the extremely uncomfortable fact that he had come close to getting his own people killed through his arrogance. That was unacceptable. 

Thus, he had been slightly tempted by the wish room. It could fix him. Probably.

Though he wasn’t certain he needed to be fixed. Though... perhaps he could be even better if he had a bit of empathy. Or just a touch more considerate.

But he didn't want the Dark Heart to change his personality. He liked who he was.

Bah. Self-reflection was tiresome.

In the end, he hadn’t picked the wish room because he didn't exactly know what he wanted – he only knew he had a teeny tiny bit more growing to do than he originally thought. 

But, when Arthur mentioned the Portal card, he knew that would be the perfect reward. They had long been stymied by not traveling the world at will.

He considered following Arthur to the Legendary section, but that would be a waste. The other cards in his deck were not here. He felt it.

And unfortunately, his secondary core could not fit another Legendary not of his current deck. 

So, Brixaby went to the Rares and started perusing, though quickly. The shaking was growing worse.

Ignoring the sounds of massively over-ranked beings fighting from outside -- That was their problem, not his – he found the portal cards.

There were several. Some with severe mana drawbacks, others with time drawbacks, and distance drawbacks. Brixaby skimmed through them until he found the perfect card.

He even had a place in his secondary core for it. See, he was growing.

****

"What card do you want?" Cressida asked the little Sliver. She longed to go through the cards herself, but she was not entirely certain what she wanted.

"That way," the Silver said, "I can feel a good card that would match Marion and I."

It was the Nature section.

"I don't want another animal card. This theme is getting ridiculous," Cressida grumbled.  

But when the Silver picked her card, and Cressida saw the one next to it, she had to admit it was perfect.

Cuddle Kittens

Summon/Elemental

Rare

Using Mana, the wielder of this card will be able to summon three incredibly fluffy, big eyed, mewing kittens made of air and pure love. These precious bundles of cuddles want nothing but to tumble and play and utterly distract the wielder’s enemies with their mind-altering cuteness. Allies are resistant to Cuddle Kittens, but have a 10% chance of misfiring an attack out of an instinctive desire, should one of the little darlings get in the way. Enemies with strong mind shields may show resistance. Cuddle Kittens may be resummoned upon destruction. But who would dare harm one of them?

 

“Joy’s going to love this,” she said with a wince before putting it into her heart. Both she and the Silver flashed away.

****

"Sam's wanted a light card," Horatio muttered, snatching the card in front of him on the shelf. "But I don't think he'll get too mad at me for this."

****

Arthur arrived back in the cozy waiting room at the same moment as the others. Everybody was smiling.

The little Silver let out a squeal on seeing Marion. She literally flew out of Cressida's arms and into his. "You're fixed! I can feel it! You're whole again!"

Marion caught her and without further ado, she projected her card.

Breath of Healing

Healing

Rare

The wielder of this card has the ability to breathe life to restore the sick, injured, and mentally unbalanced. Internal injuries and genetic issues cannot be cured by the breath of healing. This card unlocks mana, however breath of healing does not require mana unless being used as a wide area of effect spell.

Reading that card, Arthur had an inkling of why the Mythics were so interested in an Origin dragon.

Marion projected his three-of-a-kind healing cards, and when they linked he let out a joyous laugh, spinning her around. Fine stress lines that Arthur had hardly noticed before were now stark for being gone from his face. He looked healthier than Arthur had seen him since Buck Moon Hive.

Arthur opened his mouth to ask what everybody got, but then the room shook so violently that they all staggered.

And in the distance, he heard roaring and crashing. From the sounds of it, the Scourge-Gods and the Mythics were having a battle.

"Let's get out of here."

Marion hurriedly led them back to the stairwell which led back up to their territory.